Chapter 44 Don't
Yu Huatang was stunned. "So, this is a favor you're repaying? You feel you've wronged me in the past, so you think that if I accept this medicine, I'll get rid of both my debts, right?"
Zhao Yan struggled to get up, "No...it's not like that. I did it willingly and didn't think about it."
"I was thinking, you were sick before, but I had no idea. Even after I knew, I didn't go to see you in time, which is why you got seriously ill. This is my fault, and I should pay it back."
Yu Huatang looked at him, remembering the day he and Baili were waiting for her at the door. Her eyes moistened slightly, and she couldn't help but shed tears. "But did you ask me?" She took a deep breath. "Did you ask me if I accepted it? That time was indeed difficult, but I am also grateful for that time. It made me realize how ridiculous I was and how I couldn't read people's faces."
"No one in the palace has ever taken me seriously. Even if I die then, all you will hear is a sigh and say that I have a bad fate."
"Now, I don't need you to pretend to repay me, nor do I need your false guilt! I am just a small-town girl who can't stand up to the public. I will never be able to stand up to the public, and I will never be able to reach the heights of your Zhao family!"
Zhao Yan climbed up and staggered over, choking with sobs, "No, this is my fault. You're fine, both in the past and now. It's me. I wanted it all, I was arrogant and selfish, I never considered your feelings, and I never considered you as my wife. It's my fault."
"If you hate me and blame me, I deserve it. But I just want you to drink this medicine, Huatang. It contains dozens of herbs that can cure blood deficiency. Please drink it."
She sneered, "So, should I thank you for planning this and doing this for me?"
After saying that, he turned a bowl of medicine upside down, and the bloody medicine juice splashed everywhere.
He looked at her deathly, his eyes red from staying up all night.
He couldn't make any sound from his throat, he just felt pain all over his body, and his injured heart was like dead, barely feeling its beat.
After a long while, she said, "Master Zhao, I think I have made myself clear today."
"Please, Master Zhao, please don't do these things again. My life is my own. The future of Master Zhao and I is over. Now I am a craftsman, and Master Zhao is the father and mother of Quanzhou. That's all."
After saying that, he turned and left without even looking at the people in the room.
Zhao Yan only felt pain all over his body. He held his heart helplessly, and spat out a mouthful of blood. He staggered to hold on to the table and chair, and there was no expression on his face anymore.
Anfu had been waiting outside the courtyard. After Yu Huatang left, he immediately returned to Zhao Yan's room. Seeing this scene, he was so scared that he cried out, "...Master...Master..."
Zhao Yan helped him stand up again and calmly told him to get a handkerchief and wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.
His head was dizzy, but he still remembered what she said when she left. He suppressed his sorrow and told Anfu, "... from now on, don't bother Miss Yu. Also, look for a new house..."
An Fu calmed him down while crying, "...Okay, Master, you should rest first, and we'll talk tomorrow."
Zhao Yan forced himself to cheer up and spoke again, "...Don't tell anyone about what happened today."
Anfu agreed with red eyes.
"Help me to the bed..."
The night deepened again, but this time, it was extremely dark, without a trace of light.
He lay in bed, motionless, thinking about the sage books he had read over the years.
Only then did I understand that there are so many things a person can get and possess in his life, but how much can he truly obtain?
There are only a few beautiful things in the world, and we can only yearn for them but cannot possess them.
Once you miss some people, they are gone forever. Maybe when you look back many years later, you can still remember some warmth in the colorful memories.
Those people and things eventually became regrets.
He closed his eyes tightly, tears welled up from his eyes and dripped onto the pillow, silently.
…………
After resting for a few days and waiting for the wound to stop hurting, Zhao Yan still got up early and went to the government office.
Someone submitted a complaint to the government office today. Yan Quan originally wanted to leave it to the next level of officials to handle, but Zhao Yan insisted on handling it himself.
Yan Quan felt that this Lord Zhao looked a little weird. Not only did he look bad, but he also had an indescribable listlessness. Lord Zhao used to be very quiet, but today he looked like he had aged a few years and was indescribably sad.
Zhao Yan ignored Yan Quan's scrutiny. He took the complaint, which read, "Jiang Cheng, the lumber manager of the Jiang family, colluded with several officials in the government office to deliberately exaggerate the cost of building a water-spanning bridge in Fengze in order to enrich himself."
Signed, Xu Zhi.
He turned to ask Wang Zhubu, "This Xu Zhi doesn't seem to be from here."
Wang Zhubu, who usually recorded the household registration, thought for a moment and said, "This man must be from Fuzhou. There is a village called Xujia in Fuzhou, and most people have this surname. Also, sir, you see, the paper he used for his petition is also the paper commonly used in Fuzhou."
Zhao Yan continued to ask, "Then why did he come to Quanzhou to file a lawsuit?"
Wang Zhubu remembered and said, "Oh, I know who he is now. He is from the Xu family timber business, which was once squeezed out by the Jiang family timber business. At that time, the Jiang family timber business maliciously suppressed small shops, and many families could not survive and closed their shops. Xu Zhi was one of them."
After listening to the story, Zhao Yan had Xu Zhi brought up. The man was forty-five years old, lived an upright and righteous life, and spoke loudly in a pair of old cloth shoes. He told the story clearly about how Jiang's Timber used dirty tricks ten years ago to pretend to hide waste wood in Xu's warehouse, and then brought officials to search for it, causing Xu's Timber to close down.
After Wang Zhubu recorded the relevant events, he asked, "Sir, should Jiang Cheng be summoned?"
Zhao Yan nodded and asked Wang Zhubu to take Xu Zhi away.
At this time, Yan Quan came over. He looked at Zhao Yan's pale face and asked, "My lord, you must be tired. Why don't you hand this case over to me?"
Zhao Yan flipped through a book that showed Jiang's Timber's income and expenditure over the past few years. "No need. I'll check this myself."
Yan Quan was a little surprised, but after thinking for a moment, he said, "Sir, Jiang wanted to host a banquet for you yesterday, but you were busy, so I declined it for you. I wonder when you will be free in the future?"
Zhao Yan said casually, "I don't have time lately, so let's postpone it."
Yan Quan said, "Jiang originally wanted to repair the government office for free. Doing a good deed would also be considered as accumulating merit for the Jiang family. Since the Lord said it's not necessary, forget it."
Yan Quan thought, now that things have come to this, and the Jiang family has surrendered, does Lord Zhao still plan to investigate?
Unexpectedly, Zhao Yan said, "I think the government office looks good now. It doesn't need any renovation."
Okay, Yan Quan thought, this is really a case of not giving up until the Yellow River crosses. Now he has to think of a way to distance himself from this matter and let only Fuzhou Jiangzhou Mu know about his good deeds.
As for the actual investigation of the case, let's leave it to Wang Zhubu.
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